


Hardening Like Dough

by AwkwardBlueFish



Category: Batman - Fandom, DC - Fandom, Nightwing - Fandom, Robin - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Bat cuddles, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Why is this family always dying?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-10-28 08:53:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20775863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardBlueFish/pseuds/AwkwardBlueFish
Summary: He was dead; they truly and honestly believed that. He was dead and Damian would never see him again, not since he was resurrected by the Lazurus after dying himself. It had hurt them all, had hurt Damian even more. He was awake and alive and the first person who was ever there for him, the first person who taught him how to love, well, he was gone. He was dead. He wasn’t coming back.At least, thats what they believed.





	Hardening Like Dough

It was silent in Tim’s apartment. He wasn’t really surprised. 

Maybe it should have been, maybe he should have been arguing with Damian and Jason for breaking into his apartment again. Normally he would, even if he truly didn’t mind anymore. It was the norm for them now. For the two to take shelter in Tim’s home, to hide away from the coldness of that manor.

Ever since Dick had died, gone away, they have been coming. At first it was quiet between them, sometimes arguments arose. But they got better, they started talking, communicating. Cassandra would show up more often and it helped, they were healing. And then Richard Grayson had fucked it all up.

He was dead; they truly and honestly believed that. He was dead and Damian would never see him again, not since he was resurrected by the Lazurus after dying himself. It had hurt them all, had hurt Damian even more. He was awake and alive and the first person who was ever there for him, the first person who taught him how to love, well, he was gone. He was dead. He wasn’t coming back.

Tim should’ve known better. He truly should have. No one truly stayed dead and he should’ve realised that. He should have realised he wasn’t, that Dick was just faking. He should’ve known, they all should’ve. 

He didn’t really get it. Why Bruce and Dick would do that to them. Bruce had gone and they believed he dead, and Tim had bought him back. The Damian, his young little brother had gone. Dick had followed. With a shuddering breath that rattled his bones and made his eyes sting and throat close up, he walked into the kitchen.

Damian glances at him, expression blocked off. Tim knew he was confused. He knew Damian was happy, relieved Dick was okay, that he was alive but he hurt so much because Dick had lied to him. Had left him. Tim knew those feelings all too well. 

Wordlessly Jason handed him a cup of coffee and Tim thanked him, curling his numb fingers around the mug. Why did everyone keep leaving? Why did they keep lying?

Jason went back to kneading the dough. They were quiet. Silent. Conflict twisted in each of them, confliction of everything that had happened. Tim lowers his head, stares at the white marble of his counter. He lifts his mug, blankly staring at the brown circle left behind. Slowly he took a sip, let it burn his tongue. He wondered if it would warm him up. He felt so cold.

“I’m glad he is alive.” Comes the choked but genuine whisper from Damian.

“We all are kiddo.” Jason hums, his fingers clench into the dough and he curses quietly, moulding it back into a more solid form. Tim stares at it blankly, forcing a smile at Damian when he looks at him. He nods and Damian settles ever so slightly.

“Of course we are, Dames. We all are so relieved he is back.” Tim whispers, his eyes trained on the flour that flows into the air like smoke at Jason’s kneading. 

“You’re mad.” Damian whispers, he sounds so small. Tim swallows thickly.

“Damian.’ Jason calls and Damian turns to him, eyes red around the edges. Jason wipes his hands across his jeans, walking around the counter to crouch in front of the young boy. His large hands cup Damian’s small and bony shoulders. Damian doesn’t meet his eyes.

“Kiddo,’ Jason tries again and Damian’s teary eyes stare back. Tim stares blankly at the wall. “Timbo is glad Dick is back, trust me on that, yeah?” Damian glances behind him, back at Tim and nods, a frown is on his face. Tim’s throat burns. “He’s scared though’, defeated. This has happened a lot Dami, people dying, coming back.” Tears trail down his cheeks and his eyelashes stick together. He closes his eyes and clamps his trembling mouth shut. “Especially to Timmy. Bruce, Bart, Kon. Steph did it too. Then you died and came back, Dames. Now Dick.” Jason chuckles, voice rough. “Hell, I guess I pulled the same thing on him too.”

“Damian.” Tim chokes out and he can feel too startled forest green eyes staring at him. Tim trembles ever so slowly, stills himself. He swivels around on his seat, clampers off of it clumsily. Jason is quick to stand up and hover his hands around in worry he will fall. “Damian,” Tim says again. “God, I’m so glad Dick is back. Like I’m so glad you and Jay are. But it hurts, and I can’t stop that.”

Tears drip down Damian’s cheeks. He scrambles of his own chair, arms finding themselves around Tim’s bony waist and his head buried in a red shirt. A sniffle escapes him and Tim’s hands tremble as they card through his hair.

“I’m not mad. I’m just so, so relieved. It hurts though and I just can’t face him yet. I will just not yet. Sometimes I reckon I’m cursed, why would everyone keep leaving me if I wasn’t?” A wet pathetic chuckle escapes him. Damian’s grip tightens. “My dumb heart just can’t take this anymore.”

“Timbo, shut up.” Jason commands, his voice is thicker than usual. A hand rubs Damian’s shoulder before he’s pulling them into a hug. Tim leans his head on the large shoulder; his arms tight yet lose around Damian. The small boy trembles. “Hearts are like bread dough. The more they’re played with, the harder they become. I’m just glad you’re still here Timbo, I couldn’t have done it.”

“Of course you could.” Tim replies flatly. Jason shakes his head.

It was quiet for a second, content. A second later Damian lets out a small laugh and Tim and Jason blink at hm. “Only Jason would compare people’s feelings to dough.”

A laugh broke free from Tim’s throat and Jason gave them all offended looks, stepping away from the hug to glower at them with his arms crossed. “Food is better than people. I’m complimenting you.”

Tim rolled his eyes, a smile on his lips. “Sure thing, Jay.”

They would be okay. Dick was back, he was alive. And that really was all that matters.


End file.
